PlayStation All-Stars Volume Two, Season Five
by Coleiosis
Summary: Now Ratchet is ready to explore the universe and find the remaining Lombaxes that somehow emerged from the dimension they've dwelled for so long. This starts the new LifeWar series of the longest-running fanfiction of all time!
1. Massacre

Coleiosis Productions presents…

A new season premiere to the longest-running fanfiction series!

PlayStation All-Stars

Volume Two, Season Five

LifeWar, Episode One

Massacre

A new tale told in splendor by the most talked-about team in fandom.

Cool Cole Bezotte, writer

Super Sofie Spangenberg, plotter

Fiery Forrest Eaton, editor

Neat Needle Kirby, editor #2

And with a special help from the creator of this issue's featured OC, our pal Lucky Luke!

And now…it's time for action!

Introduction: Ratchet's life from past to future…

Born from the fire clean, crawling in the dirt like war  
5 years, my mother gave a voice for war  
10, I was dead, born again with eyes for war  
By 15, hate was the name of my war

Wash me in the river  
Give me to the pain of LifeWar  
LifeWar

20 years gone, and father told me life was like war  
Hands to the bone, 25 years of war  
30, I wake to the sound of souls at war  
I will pass through, buried in the flag of my war

Wash me in the river  
Give me to the pain of LifeWar  
LifeWar

Now for the real deal

It had been over a week since Ratchet had made his sworn vow to roam the universe and seek the people he had lost all his life. So far throughout his years, he found only certain Lombaxes who had survived the Cragmite invasion, such as Angela Cross, agent of MegaCorp. Later on came along Alistair Azzimuth, a friend of his father Kaden. And now, at the present time, Ratchet knows more about the new friends of his, Alex Gemini, Tatzeya, and Donna.

Today was something new though; Ratchet came into contact with a male Lombax who had stepped foot upon Earth about the same time that he did a long time ago. Tyler was his name, and his story was crashing his ship into the Los Angeles river after a battle against enemy space pirates. And once his unconscious body was fished out of the water by two U.S. Government agents, the population knew that any alien race would tend to stay on their planet.

Yes, during the time that Ratchet was forming the League of Heroes, Agent Stone's sharp eyes immediately found a bitter hatred towards the Lombax race, claiming it to be suspiciously secretive. First Ratchet, now Tyler seemed like a bitter enemy. However, Agent Shepherd was compassionate for the alien race, knowing that peace was already involved in their coming upon Earth. "He drove those space pirates away from Earth…" he spoke softly, examining the cold head of Tyler. "This boy is a hero."

"This boy is under arrest!" Stone replied sternly. "Our first alien visitor must have manipulated him to crash his ship here and steal our water supply."

"Don't be a fool, Stone! If you dare do one last remark like that, you will be removed from the U.S. Government! You'll be stripped of your duties to every single one of your badges! Does that sound fair to you?"

"My duty is to protect our planet from the aliens that dare intrude!"

"And apparently, you cannot tell hostile from friendly, agent. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll see to it that this one wakes up and gets fed fully."

Many months later, Tyler finally made the call to Ratchet, requesting help for pulling his ship out of the Los Angeles river. Ratchet accepted, also very eager to see that many other people of his race were still alive and active. About fifteen minutes later, he and a selected number of friends from his fellow League of Heroes arrived at the boat docks, seeing Tyler and Agent Shepherd patiently waiting there for them. "We're right on time!" Ratchet spoke, grabbing his scuba gear as he walked towards the edge of the nearest boat. "Now we can finally get this thing out of there and help the poor soul go home."

"I'm glad you came to help…" Tyler spoke to him, pointing towards what was beneath the sea. "I couldn't find any spaceship engineers to help until I found out you lead a crime-fighting team here."

Quickly emerging from the water, Nathan Drake appeared in his scuba-diving outfit, giving full report on what he found down there. "I found it!" he exclaimed. "A hundred feet below—only the tail section is protruding."

Minutes later, Captain Qwark arrived at the bottom of the river, attempting to move the ship from where it was stuck. "I don't get it!" he said as he kept on pushing. "My muscles are twice normal size, but I can't budge it! We've got a job on our hands!"

"Ratchet asked me to position this waterproof closed-circuit TV camera over the hull," came in Talwyn Apogee, another willing volunteer. "I'll release a buoy to hold it in place."

The camera in position, the League of Heroes spent the rest of the afternoon building a secure platform for Ratchet to stand upon. Nathan finally fished himself out and climbed aboard to give Ratchet the word to put his work into action. "Okay, Ratchet, this wraps it up," he said. "Are you ready for the next move?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Ratchet enthusiastically replied. "Now stand back. You would have never seen what I'm going to do. This new oversized Omniwrench I recently finished should have enough magnetic power to pull the rest of the ship out of the ground."

"You've told me that those kinds of wrenches pull bolts towards 'em. Are you sure it will do the same here?"

"I've made up a lot of time to import many different modifications into this thing. And all that makes up the strongest magnetic attraction ever!"

Sighting upon the entrapped space ship through his TV viewer, the Lombax slowly rotated the huge wrench over the hull, directing an irresistible torrent of cosmic magnetic waves toward the alien craft. Steadily, with ever-increasing force, they pulled at the heavy object—without let-up, without ever slackening—until—success entered the scene.

"It worked!" Nathan exclaimed. "You freed the ship!"

"Why do you sound surprised?" Ratchet replied. "Haven't you been studying on this race?"

"Yeah, but you brought in something completely new."

Down below, Tyler and Captain Qwark watched in amazement as the ship was removed from the deep ground that it was once stuck in. "You kept your word!" Tyler exclaimed in joy. "Now I can repair my ship in minutes, and depart from here!"

"Now that it's floating free…" Qwark replied, "…the water makes it almost weightless! If only that happened to me…"

"You can leave it here. I'll make my repairs underwater, safe from any prying eyes."

"Suit yourself, mister. As long as you hit the road, we don't care how you do it."

But Captain Qwark's sentence was cut short by a thunderous explosion which rocked the dock at that split-second. And back on the surface, the League of Heroes were amazed to see that Dr. Neo Cortex had returned with his League of Villains, with their own vow to wipe any hero from the face of the universe.

"Now you see who the accursed enemy is!" Cortex called to his freakish friends. "This time, we do our combat on foot!"

Though the first onslaught was unexpected and devastating, the heroes' battle-trained reflexes were equal to the challenge. "You'll have to do better than that, laughing boy!" Nathan taunted, drawing his pistol and making ready to fire.

"You'll get your wish, archaeologist!" Frank McCutcheon retorted as he lunged his fists forward. Though his sewn face was covered by a hockey mask, his senses were still stronger than any other's. "I'll do so much better! I'm gonna enjoy gutting you, you pig!"

"I'll have to act fast!" Nathan thought as he felt the blows from Frank's fists. "He must be a heavily-trained boxer, because his fists are like living sledgehammers! I won't be able to take it much longer!"

Quickly, from behind, Ratchet's new giant wrench put Frank momentarily out of action. Setting the magnetic power in reverse, he caused the wrench to unleash the full force of its transistor-powered magnetic repulser, spinning Frank out of control. "Now I've got to hope we can think of something fast!" Ratchet thought as the force was about to die down. "At full intensity, the magnetic ray will only last another few seconds. I've already used up so much of it for digging the ship out."

And, no sooner did the miniaturized transistors lose their power, than the enraged faceless one caught onto a nearby boulder. Seeing it, Tiny Tiger soon came up with the idea to lift it all the way above his head and hurl it right at the enemy. "Tiny feel much stronger now, thanks to the doctor's potion!" he thought aloud as he threw it at Nathan. "Here, puny man! Here's a sample of Tiny's might!"

"He smashed that huge boulder like an eggshell!" Nathan thought, struggling to avoid the remains of the rock. "The flying chunks are hitting me—almost like knives hurling at me!"

"Tiny not satisfied until you dead!" Tiny exclaimed as he landed a blow upon the archaeologist.

"We may need your help!" N. Gin called to the brute. "The Lombax besieges us!"

Dr. Neo Cortex was already occupied with battling Ratchet, though it was a very tough outcome, seeing that Ratchet's giant wrench was keeping the mad doctor at bay. Swinging it constantly, Ratchet kept all those other villains at bay, backing them away from him. "You better show yourself now, Cortex!" he shouted. "I don't want to waste my time on these idiots of yours!"

"I'll show you the TRUE work of a mad scientist!" Cortex replied, pointing his new laser rifle at him. "Are you ready to face your death?"

"Though your mind may be intelligent, you most certainly have not studied the Lombax race at all!" With those words said, Ratchet once again used the magnetic power of the Omniwrench to hurl back what was shot at him. The laser beam from Cortex's rifle came ever so closer to the Lombax, but was later repelled back at him due to the wrench's magnetic power.

"Such a naughty race of mischievous Lombaxes cheat at combat!" the mad doctor thought in frustration. "Am I to be no match for him?!"

At that same time, Captain Qwark returned to the surface, recovered from that blast from earlier. He right away noticed Nathan in trouble, battling against heavy odds; he thought that this would be the opportunity to even them.

"If all you bully-boys enjoy ganging up on ONE man…" Qwark taunted, picking up Dr. Nefarious and Rusty Pete by the necks, "…try ME for size! Hey, I notice you're not whooping it up so much now!" Then, with one thrust of both his strong arms, he threw the two fiends forwards and into a pile of crates on the boat's deck.

"Thanks, big fella!" Nathan said to him, finally finding enough room to fight. "I'll handle Stone for now. You better see how Ratchet's making out."

"Will do, fella!" Qwark replied. "But I wonder what happened to the other Lombax. He still hasn't taken off yet!"

And the answer was given right away: Tiny Tiger found Tyler in the waters below and snatched him out of there, taking him as hostage. Ratchet witnessed the dark deed that was about to be put into effort, seeing Tiny hold Tyler by the arms as Dr. Cortex aimed his laser rifle at his head. "You better step back, all of you!" Cortex demanded. "I still have an ace in the hole! You forget about the this one—he is our hostage now!"

"The lad is in danger!" Ratchet thought silently, gripping his wrench very tightly. "This I will not tolerate!"

"Don't worry about me, guys!" Tyler exclaimed in a panic. "Clobber these goons, once and for all!"

"Make one move towards me…" Cortex continued, "…and the boy's life is—WHAT?! Oh no, PLEASE!"

The sight of seeing a long-time nemesis of his brought Dr. Neo Cortex's blood to a boil. Crash Bandicoot arrived at the scene just in time with Aku Aku; they tracked down their enemy just as they promised before. After Alex Gemini brought the Time Cube back to its normal state, she gave them a tracking device to hunt down the mad genius when needed.

"It worked just as we hoped it would!" Aku Aku spoke. "Man, she was a real helper!"

"Geeya oozah!" Crash exclaimed in his childish tongue, sadly knowing very little English. Aku Aku figured that it meant, "Let's roll right into them!"

"If only Alex didn't turn against us!" Cortex growled in frustration. "If that didn't happen, we would still have the Black Cube with us for unlimited power!"

"You mean TIME Cube?" Aku Aku replied.

"The Time Cube!" Ratchet thought, quietly sneaking to free Tyler of Tiny Tiger's grip. "But if those two didn't take it, then who did? And where did Donna disappear to after the previous battle?"

"Booyah!" Crash shrieked, spinning in place where he stood. It was his chance to attack head-on at the one who had created him, and who hated him. The evil scientist desperately moved out of the way to avoid the bandicoot's spin-attack and darted for the ship that he used to arrive here.

"I've already been through enough trouble today!" Cortex thought as he gathered the others in his team. "I may have given Tiny the potion that made him stronger, but that does not mean I should keep a secret from the others. I'll give them what they need soon…"

"They're falling back!" Aku Aku exclaimed. "I guess what he went through today was way too much. Great going, Crash!"

"Wahoo!" Crash screamed happily, dancing a short jig.

"And look! There's the one we need to see! Nice to see you, Ratchet! Crash and I are wondering about something very important."

"And what is that, my friend?" Ratchet replied. "You can ask me anything."

"It's about your crime-fighting team. We were wondering if we could join your group, but we'd still be stationed at Wumpa Island, along with the other Bandicoots. You don't HAVE to accept us if you don't want to."

"Who said I wouldn't want to? We can really need enough members in our team to stay strong in sweeping evil away."

"Thanks, Ratchet! Did you hear that, Crash? We're in! Let's go back home and tell your sister and Crunch!"

"Weehah!" Crash shrieked, rushing back to where he and Aku Aku came from.

"And what about YOU?" Ratchet asked Tyler, turning to face him. "Would YOU like to become part of the world's greatest fighting team?"

"I'm not sure…" Tyler shyly replied. "This is something I would have to think about deeply. Although it sounds very convincing, I'll need to sleep on it."

"That's okay… Take your time on it. If you don't want to, that's okay with me and the rest of the gang."

"Thanks, guys. Well, I better see if my ship is ready for takeoff. I'll see you all some other time."

"One new Lombax found…" Ratchet thought, watching Tyler diving back into the water to fetch his ship. "That wasn't so bad. But something deep inside tells me that this will become more challenging as it goes along. I wonder who else I can find…"

 **Will Tyler join the League of Heroes? Will Needles appear sometime in this season? Will we see more of Crash and the Bandicoots? We'll see next time, along with the special appearance of a surprise villain.**


	2. The Burden Upon Your Neck

Coleiosis Productions presents…

PlayStation All-Stars

Volume Two, Season Five

LifeWar Episode Two

The Burden Upon Your Neck

Produced with power and pride by a group of wild and wacky friends:

Cole (Best Man) Bezotte

Sofie (Sparkling) Spangenberg

Forrest (Everloving) Eaton

Alexandra (Genial) Gemini

Needle (Killing) Kirby (eh, sorry about that)

Halloween is near, isn't it? It's time we turn the scary meter up a notch, but not too much. You will be in for a big surprise when you see the surprise villain at the end. But don't skip all the way there, because you've got to read the rest of this masterpiece.

First words

I'm infected with you

Pull the plug already

Tell me before I go

That you're infected with me.

The Burden Upon your Neck

To those who were wondering how Tiny Tiger's strength increased in our previous caper, the answer is provided right here. Before heading for the boat dock to sabotage the League of Heroes, Dr. Neo Cortex had a brilliant idea to make up for their defeat from last time. He still had plenty of his scientific potions as what was salvaged from the Time Cube, before it was stolen by Alex Gemini; and so he found this as the perfect opportunity to improve whatever the League of Villains was lacking.

For Tiny Tiger, he created a formula that could increase his strength and double what was once a mere feat. Now he had the strength to lift even the heaviest boulders with only his fingers. Then, for former agent Stone, Dr. Cortex enhanced his hearing ability so he can hear the fall of the tiniest leaf as it touched the ground. Through this, Stone could hear the slightest movement from all directions; it gave him the thought that he could hear a Lombax's tail move ever so quietly.

Cortex had something special for Frank "the Tank" McCutcheon (aka No-Face): for him, his potion was to give him a "radar sense" in his mind. This was to block out Frank's blindness and help him "see" things internally through infrared vision. That way, he would no longer have to reach out his hands to touch and feels things; he would know that it is there already.

Captain Slag and Rusty Pete did not need a potion to drink, due to the fact that they cannot drink in general anyway. Instead, they were given upgrade hacks to their mainframe systems, which they were very satisfied with. Captain Slag was given the ability to activate a cloaking device so he would never be seen in entering a bank. Also the device would jam whatever security camera he was nearby so he can steal the money he coveted with ease. Rusty Pete's new system could aid the captain with his new super-magnet, which could attract any kind of coin towards him. The first attempt worked, as Slag snatched all the cash along with Pete collecting all the coins that came his way.

"I have not yet created a formula each for Nefarious, his butler, and N. Gin," Cortex confessed. "But that will come in due time. In the meantime, I have recently received a request from Nitrus Brio for him to join our ranks. I must say I almost want to refuse his request because of our defeat with our mutant potion. Since then, Crash Bandicoot has become more of an enemy to me than ever! Perhaps I should find fiends from other foreign realms—the ones who have boiling hatred within them…"

Later that day, Dr. Cortex sent an invitation to Dr. Eggman himself; the letter sent from Los Angeles all the way to Brooklyn. Thanks to Cortex's "speed-mail" system, the message only took about an hour to reach its destination. And when Eggman read the letter, he seemed not entirely amused at the offer due to the fact that villains such as Needles had always double-crossed him.

"Can you believe this?" Eggman asked out loud to his robots and assistants. "Do we really need any more super geniuses to group together again? I don't think I can even get along with Dr. Wily!"

 **(To those who are not fans of Mega Man, the mentioned scientist is as bad as Eggman, but quite different.)**

"No one would ever agree to team up with you if you're the same every day," Cubot replied.

"Perhaps you're right. I'm just not so tyrannical like I used to be, when Sonic and his Freedom Fighters fought to take back Mobius' kingdom. I don't know entirely if I will accept this offer…"

We will have to leave this horde of hideous haters for now; our attention must now turn to the protagonist of this tale. The Lombax known as Donna had recently reached her destination through the awesome power of the Time Cube. Her choice of time had been possibly poor due to her temptation of reaching the past and changing things the way she wanted it to be.

She at first desired to travel to the final moments of her two loving parents, but there was something else that that she wanted to see first. A memory of her childhood struck her mind and gave her the idea to land the Time Cube in her old bedroom. It was nighttime when she arrived, and in bed she found her younger self, sleeping deeply and unaware of anything that went on. The present-day Donna also had an idea to go see the family that cared for her; but before she could make a move, she suddenly heard a loud thump from the nearby closet of her room.

"I remember now!" she thought silently. "That bad dream I had about pool sharks! This younger form of me is bound to wake up any minute now. But…wait a minute! If my closet was empty the next day, then who-?"

Her question was answered right away when the closet door slowly opened, revealing the source of that sound. "It's just like when a child is frightened of something in her closet, eh?" spoke a deep voice from in there. "I'll see to it that it happens to you again."

"Why are you here, you freak?" Donna demanded. "And how did you get here anyway?"

"Don't tell me you've never heard of _Back to the Future_ ," the threatening voice of Needles replied as the clown walked out of the blackened corner. "I've made some major modifications to my ice cream truck, using power from my trusty computer MELVIN ( **M** y **E** vil- **L** oving **V** illainous **I** ntelligence **N** etwork) and some special upgrades Calypso gave me recently. And boy was it a blast traveling here to the past."

 **(Calypso, aka William Sparks, has been a very mysterious character in our fanfiction timeline. We'll see more of the mystery in future episodes.)**

"I've heard enough stories of you, you menace!" Donna exclaimed. "You just won't rest until you've completely ruined someone's life! And as far as I'm concerned, you've already ruined MINE!"

"Good to know!" Needles replied. "I've always been that nightmare that rages on through everyone's heads. And as for yours, it's about to come right off after you take one last look at that kid in the bed. My first home was Pupuru's dream, my second was an asylum; but my next home will be yours! I will be the man who hides in your closet, under your bed, in your MIND! You will never be too far away from me…not even in death!"

"I hate you! I wish you'd just shut up already and die right here and now!"

"That's pretty rare of anyone to say that…especially a Lombax. I can already sense such burning hatred within you—the same hatred that I have towards my worst enemies. But you're missing the point—you just can't kill me, little chick! You can never kill me…not as long as the spirit of evil roams within me. I am immortal! And you will soon be nothing but the puny tadpole you once were!"

With her fists clenched very tightly, Donna felt the need to launch one full punch upon the ugly, evil face of the one who stood right before her. But suddenly, a better idea came to her mind; right next to her was her old desk where she used to repair and fix any wrecked contraptions. Quickly and without any further hesitation, she reached for a flathead screwdriver and hurled it at Needles with pinpoint accuracy. It struck his right eye, causing excruciating pain upon his face. With a wail, the fiend fell with his back landing upon the floor, cringing in pain.

"I lost my power!" he shouted. "Now I know—Ratchet must have defeated me enough…to prove me as an outcast! I've already been a public menace for so long now, no one will quit at taking me down!"

Donna watched as the villain disappeared from sight, returning to the haunted vehicle from whence he came. Recovering from fear and exhaustion, and with a tear forming in her left eye, she turned to see her younger self, still sleeping softly. "I must say that freak was a good example of a pool shark," she thought silently. "I hope I can rest easy now. But I will admit, I really shouldn't be here. If Christa was here right now and she saw me, she wouldn't believe a word I say. I should do the right thing and return the Time Cube to its rightful owner."

And returned it she did, to Ratchet later that night. After Donna left the past, her younger form suddenly woke up from her horrible dream with a shriek. Christa had heard that noise and came to Donna's room, seeing what was going on in there. "What happened in here?" she spoke. "Is everything alright?"

"No…" young Donna whimpered in reply. "It was a dream—a pool shark threatened to be stuck with me forever! I had to fight him off, so I threw a harpoon at his eye. It hurt him so much, he swam away from me. His scream was the last thing I heard…"

"Well don't be scared now… Nothing like that would ever happen to you here in the real world. I promise you're safe…"

"I hope that makes me feel better throughout the rest of the night. I'm tired again already…"

"Then you should get some sleep now. You'll wake up to a bright morning before you know it. But I wonder… What was that thumping noise?"

"That must have been how the dream started… The shark landed hard upon the boat dock with a thump, and that's how it met me…"

"Finally!" Ratchet exclaimed excitedly, entering the main chamber of the Time Cube. "What have you been doing with this thing?"

"I'm very sorry, Ratchet…" Donna apologized in reply, standing at the control console. "I did it for my own desires. I stole it after Alex bailed out with Aku Aku and Crash. But now that you have it back, what's your plan?"

"I'll be heading to the next location where the missing Lombaxes may be. I'm hoping they get inspired by the idea of the Time Cube so they can do it themselves sometime. I'll gather as many as I can and travel with them to the Great Clock, where we'll create many more Time Cubes!"

"I'm afraid that will never happen!" shouted a loud, mechanical voice from the next room. "The Lombaxes shall be extinct once more!"

Ratchet and Donna quickly turned to see what was coming their way. But they almost broke down into laughter once they found the source of that voice: a Dalek was standing right in front of them.

 **(You fans of** _ **Doctor Who**_ **are in for a big treat!)**

"Are you kidding?" Ratchet laughed. "A Dalek comes to threaten us with his built-in plunger? Give me a break!"

"This is no laughing matter, Ratchet!" the Dalek replied. "I have returned to carry out the task I started a long time ago!"

"What are you gonna do? Exterminate me to death? This is your saddest attempt yet, you crappy villains!"

"Must I remove this shell to reveal the face of your true nemesis?" With those words said, the Dalek's upper shell opened, revealing an ugly, twisted face that bore black burns. Many of his teeth were missing, others were broken in half, others had survived the impact of what had turned him into this.

"Don't lie to me!" Ratchet exclaimed in fear. "You're dead! There's no way you could have survived our last battle!"

"But perhaps I should tell the tale of how I broke free from death! Soon, the whole universe will tremble at my name once again: Emperor Percival Tachyon!"

 **How is Emperor Tachyon still alive? And what of the rest of the villains? All this will be revealed in the next episode. Until then, keep your Omniwrench polished, and keep your scalp on fire.**


	3. When the Mind Fades

Coleiosis Productions presents…

PlayStation All-Stars

Volume Two, Season Five

LifeWar Episode Three

When the Mind Fades

Brought to you once again by our merry madmen of fandom…

Cole Bezotte, writer

Sofie Spangenberg, plotter

Forrest Eaton, editor

Needle Kirby, interpreter

Gene Ocelot, makeup artist

And finally, kibitzing by the whole blamed bullpen

Prologue

This is how it feels when I ignore the words you spoke to me

This is how I break apart when I keep running away from you

This is who I get when I don't know myself anymore

This is what I choose when it's all left up to me

When the Mind Fades

"I still refuse to believe it!" Ratchet spoke in frustration, facing the one he had battled before in the past. "You can't still be alive!"

"Ah, but luck was around the corner for me…" Emperor Percival Tachyon replied, his voiced weakened with his mixed and damaged face. "Before I had faced my demise, someone had the heart to save me from my bitter end. And if was to mention his very name, your hunger to kill me would be stronger than ever. Let's just say he was quite the notorious killer."

"And so I was glad to do it!" boomed a voice from the next room. "After all, I want a Lombax to face its worst fear before he dies!"

"YOU!" Ratchet shouted as he saw Needles approach the main control console of the Time Cube. "Why did you do it?!"

"Didn't you just hear me?" Needles replied rudely, pointing his machete at Ratchet. "All these years, I've hated you deep down inside. And if I can't kill Pupuru with you in the way, then you'll have to be my target for now. And as for YOU…!" He turned to face Donna, threatening her for a new reason. "I'll see to it you won't relive what you did to me recently! I will have so much fun gutting you!"

"You just want us to die, you meathead…!" Donna retorted in reply. "It's getting really tiring for me."

"That's just the way things have to be, girly! I can't wait to see what your blood looks like…"

"That's quite enough!" Tachyon interrupted. "Can I please move on to the main point?"

"What do you want from us?" Ratchet spoke to the emperor. "Are you here to finish the promise you started before?"

"More than that, my friend…" Tachyon answered in reply. "I know that you are still searching for the remains of your race; I know that they have spread across the universe! That fills me with even more anger and hatred, as I now embark on this new quest of mine to kill the rest that live! But first, I will need to revive the tyranny of those who had proven themselves the cruelest to the universe!"

"I think I can already guess those whom you mention…"

"You SHOULD be, you fool! I have heard of the villainy of Gleeman Vox, the once-powerful Chairman Drek, and the man who calls himself Calypso… They will all soon prepare themselves for the battle that shall bring you to your final demise! This I swear!"

"But what are YOU going to do? You're simply a puppet in a Dalek's armor, fool! You look powerless!"

"You shall regret those words, Lombax! Needles, show him of his wrongdoings! He shall pay for this!"

"Finally!" Needles exclaimed loudly. "A time for me to cast another illusion! You better prepare yourself for this one, Ratchet! You'll feel nothing after this!" With those words said, he thrusted his right hand at Ratchet's neck and held it very tightly. "Prepare to be put down!" he shouted in his large ear. Once the villain let go, poor Ratchet felt completely numb; nowhere in his body did he feel anything functioning. He could not move at all—all he could do was watch in horror as Needles walked towards him with a small, slender pin.

First, the fiend poked at Ratchet's chest; the Lombax felt himself drift back a few inches. In this horrible illusion, the hero who swore freedom has become a captive of Needles' evil antics. Ratchet was a balloon, inflated to full normal size before meeting its end. Pinching the needle, the clown raised it, ready to land it upon the victim; and after only one second, all that was heard was a loud pop.

When everything cleared, everyone looked down at the floor to see Ratchet, lying unconscious and completely immobile. Donna took a closer look to see that Needles' pin had actually pierced the poor Lombax's chest, causing it to bleed. In the point of view of the devilish clown, it was a mark of success coming to him. "Now that that's done…" Needles hissed, "…it's your turn to feel it!"

Donna refused to let the fiend cast an illusion upon her; she held Needles' hand back, and with her free hand, she delivered a blow upon his ugly face, almost like the last time they encountered. But it only made the clown madder than ever, eager to wipe this species off the face of the galaxy like never before. "Okay, then…!" Needles hissed, placing his thick hands upon Donna's neck. "I guess you receive the more brutal punishment!"

Donna's eyes blurred, making it harder to see what was happening. The dirty white color of Needles' ugly clown mask engulfed her vision, placing her in a white background that she did not recognize. Once her vision finally cleared, she saw before her a figure that seemed not so familiar at first. A female Lombax, a bit taller than Donna, one who bore a soft smile at the sight of the one she knew.

"Who—who are you…?" Donna spoke to the figure.

"Someone you've never met your whole life…" the other replied.

"And someone you'll never see ever again!" boomed the voice of Needles. His figure appeared, driving a knife through the Lombax's back, killing her instantly.

"What are you doing?!" Donna demanded in a panic.

"Something that's happened many years ago…" Needles threatened in reply. "What a shame it is that you don't even know your own mother…" After those words were spoken, Donna suddenly felt her heart tear to pieces. Her eyes blurred from the tears that formed; all she could do was stand there, hardly breathing, as she heard the laughter of the embodiment of evil that stood before her.

"That monster!" Donna thought in her mixed emotions of fear, anger, and sadness. "He will pay!"

Suddenly, after her next blink, she saw Needles stand right in front of her, ever so closer to her. Then, with one great lunge of a knife, the devil ended the illusion. And once everything cleared, he found Donna lying lifelessly on the floor as blood dripped from a sizzling burn she had suddenly received.

"I did it!" Needles thought aloud in excitement. "I finally did it! I killed those filthy Lombaxes! They're dead! Boys and girls, I am so proud of myself! This is strong enough to make a grown man cry, but not THIS one! Eh, wait a second… What's THIS?!" He took a closer look at Donna's chest to see the burn.

"You are too much of a fool to think that you would hog all the credit to yourself!" Tachyon's voice spoke behind him. "I merely wanted you to injure them so they would fear our powers! I want to be the one who erases the Lombax race from the universe…not a simple man!"

"You idiot!" Needles shouted as he rushed towards the emperor with his machete. "You stole my victory from me! I wanted to kill them! I…HATE…YOU!" As he shouted those words, he choked Tachyon by squeezing his throat as hard as he could, draining all the air out of his lungs. To finish him off, the clown jabbed his deadly blade through the has-been's neck, putting the tyrant's life at an end.

Needles' anger consumed him ever more, his desire taken from him. Though Donna was killed by a laser beam from Tachyon's control panel, Ratchet finally met his end at the hands of the deadliest man who ever lived. Or did he?

Behind the villain was a soft sound of a Lombax's tail dragging along the ground. Needles turned around to see Ratchet limping towards the motionless body of Donna. "How are you still alive?" he spoke to him.

"You've never heard of iron will, have you?" Ratchet replied, pressing his hand against his bleeding chest. "It'll take more than a needle to kill a good person. But as for this one, you've totally gone and done it! This is why I HATE YOU SO MUCH! All you ever care about is ruining people's lives and killing innocent beings! You only love yourself! And for the first time, it seems as if evil has finally won…"

"I didn't kill her… It would be better if I did, though. And yet, something inside tells me that I'll no longer have a worst nemesis if I succeed way too soon."

"You've been hunting me and my friends down for years now. And now you've killed the wrong person. Come on, Donna. Do me a favor and please don't be dead. You've been my pal for a long time now, and I don't want you to fade out now. Please breathe, Donna! I am begging you!"

Needles heard a tremble in Ratchet's voice, knowing that fear was increasing within him even more. Ratchet began to beat upon Donna's chest, forcing her to open her eyes and breathe once again. "Donna, please!" Ratchet continued to shout, as tears streamed down his face. "Get back up! I beg you! You have to live again! I don't want you do die now! GET UP!"

Ratchet started to settle his fists. Nothing was working. His sobbing continued to overtake his chance to revive the one who trembled. But suddenly, he saw two gloved hands beat down upon Donna's chest. He looked up and saw that Needles was there to help him.

"Are you serious?" Ratchet whimpered.

"I'm only doing this for a good reason!" Needles replied. "I want it to be ME who kills her off! Not some crappy laser beam! When we revive her, I'll be doing my part again!"

"I'll see to it that it happens…" Ratchet silently thought, "…in a PIG'S EYE…"

Both worst foes began to put all their effort into saving the one who was once lonesome, who was once an outcast to Earth, who became loved and hated by those who surrounded her life. The new friends she had made on Earth were the ones who she hung with the most, the ones who brought tears of joy to her, the ones who warmed her heart as she had found her new home here with the League of Heroes.

"Please come back!" Ratchet begged. "We love you so! We don't want to say good-bye to you too soon! I want you to live! I want you to live!"

"Get back up!" Needles shouted. "Don't be a weakling! Just get up! Just feel that fire in your soul!"

One second, silence.

Two seconds, a cough.

Three seconds, two eyes yanked open.

Donna quickly sat up, coughing out the remaining blood in her throat. In a fit of excitement, Ratchet swiftly embraced his arms around his friend, welcoming her back to the land of the living. The dawn of a new day had risen, warming the hearts of those relieved to see their good friend alive again.

"Thank you…" Ratchet whimpered, his voice still trembling. "It's so good to see you again…"

"Ratchet?" Donna replied, tears forming in her eyes. "It's you! You saved me! You and…him? What for?"

"I wanted to take credit for your demise…" Needles replied. "But never before have I revived one who was once dead. My job is to kill, not bring back to life. So can I please finish what I promised?"

"Apparently you can't…" Ratchet said to him, standing back up. "You killed a villain and saved a hero. Are you really starting to become a good person?"

"I shouldn't be! I still hate you with all my guts! If I wanted to, I could slice both your heads off with one swipe of my blade!"

"What a big dummy you are!" Donna taunted as she got back to her feet. "It's okay now to say again that we really hate you…"

His blood boiling rapidly, Needles once again fell into a fit of rage. But then he suddenly stopped and stood completely still for a second. Then, with a smile beneath his mask, he replied: "Let me show you two how much I…hate YOU!" He ran out of the Time Cube as quick as a fox, and within two seconds, he drove his ice cream truck inside the main chamber at full speed.

"Well, I guess things are back to normal now!" Ratchet said as he and Donna ran as quickly as they could, avoiding the power of the deadly truck.

"I still won't rest until you're all dead!" Needles shouted loudly over the chaos. "And I'll do it MY way!"

Epilogue

This is how it looks when I am standing on the edge

This is where I lose myself when I finally hit the ground

This is how it hurts when I pretend I don't feel any pain

This is how I disappear when I throw myself away

"So what do you think guys?" spoke the excited Cole Bezotte. "Is this adequate for an epic tale?"

"As always…" replied the amazed Sofie Spangenberg, "…I'll add this to my favorites list. Any story that contains my OC is a favorite of mine."

"It's pretty neat," commented the grateful Forrest Eaton. "Although, I think you need to tone down Needles' violent talk. It's getting a bit out of hand."

"I'll do just that," Cole replied. "Golly! If only this was a series put on YouTube… We'd be getting millions of subscribers right off the bat! But of course we don't have the proper things to put it all together. However, I can think of an audio library series for those who are blind. If they can't read, they can at least HEAR the action being spoken to them."

"It's a good idea… We just haven't gotten a female voice yet!"

"You're right! Who should voice the gentle Pupuru, or Donna? What's up with that?"

"How long do you think it will take to make this audio series?" Sofie continued.

"That my friend will have to wait," Cole answered in reply. "I'll have to finish the other stories I had planned. There's a lot more coming for this LifeWar series! Verily, we have spoken!"


	4. Someone to Hate

Coleiosis Productions presents…  
PlayStation All-Stars

Volume Two, Season Five

LifeWar Episode Four

Someone to Hate

A fabulous fantasy, fathered by your fearless madmen:  
Cole Bezotte, Sofie Spangenberg, Forrest Eaton, Needle Kirby, Alexandra Gemini, and lucky Luke.  
And finally, here comes another special guest to help polish this into perfection, Alex! (Yes, another person with that name. Cool, right?)

First words

Lost my mind and I lost track

Scream your name till you come back

Someone to Hate

Perhaps this tale is better to start as a flashback to the dark past, during the time when Pupuru was assumed to have gone mad. Her time in Blackfield Asylum was a success to the short-tempered Agent Stone, but many other agents of the U.S. Government disapproved of this act. Agent Shepherd in particular desired to release the poor girl and hand her over to Ratchet safe and sound just as planned. However, about a day before Ratchet arrived, there was another unexpected visitor. After the Lombax known as Felix was given safety, a female and her feathered companion had visited Earth for the first time as well. Neima was her name, and the Colornox hawk Cumin; not that anyone would know that.  
Agent Stone was guarding the exterior of the prison building until his eyes quickly spotted the new visitors. He had already been enraged by Ratchet's coming, but this was something that fueled his anger even more. Seeing Neima's white hair and fur brought his blood to a boil as more hints of the Lombax race came to his mind.  
"Not only are they invading…" Stone thought, aiming his sniper at her, "…but they're also coming in style! I cannot tolerate this anymore! This alien species must never interfere with the peace of the human race!"  
Two shots were given to Neima's side before the attack was suddenly interrupted by a gentle hand. The firm grip of kindhearted Agent Shepherd held Stone's gun back from firing another deadly shell. "That's quite enough, Stone!" Shepherd spoke to him. "Or should I say…you're DONE! And I mean REMOVED!"  
"You can't fire me!" Stone retorted in reply. "Both of us are at the same rank!"  
"They are orders from Commander Mason; he told me to carry out the order of removing you from your duties and rank in the U.S. Government. I'll see to it that you turn in your guns, gear and uniform tomorrow morning. And if you do anything more nasty to the poor Lombax race, I'll have you shot at sunrise!"  
"You couldn't possibly do that! You're too softhearted!"  
"Maybe I'm all heart, but don't make me stricter than I usually am…"  
Shepherd looked back over to where Neima had collapsed, but she and Cumin had already vanished. Stone's rage caused him to miss the vital spot, so Neima survived the attack. But Shepherd had no way of knowing that for sure or what she was capable of. All he could do was hope that Stone didn't manage to take her life.

Now we come to the present time, where Stone had recalled to that fateful moment. But still he was unsatisfied with the Lombax race's victory over him. And so, that day, he demanded the rest of the League of Villains to force a published declaration to prove that Lombaxes are nothing more than threats.  
"Do you even realize what you're saying?!" Dr. Neo Cortex demanded of him. "Have you any idea with whom you are dealing?!"  
"After those many battles with Ratchet and his do-gooders we've had…" Frank McCutcheon commented, "…your declaration will shock the world!"  
"The world MUST be shocked!" Stone coldly replied. "The danger was never greater! We've been so busy worrying about the general enemy and the like, that you've overlooked the greatest menace of all! Lombaxes walk among us—hidden—unknown…waiting for the moment to strike!"  
"We've been fighting them you know!" Cortex retorted. "It's just that you so happen to be so sensitive about it. You can't simply walk back to fighting alongside with the humans."  
"It's something I will HAVE to do. For only THEY have the actual power to conquer the human race! Even as we speak, they are out there—scheming, plotting, planning—thinking we don't suspect! But, there is still time to smash them—if we strike now!"  
Within minutes, the nation's presses go into action, recalling Ratchet's first unpleasant taste of Earth. However, Stone was still not happy until the Lombax he saw read a copy of the news. But where was she?  
Ratchet had heard the unpleasant news of what Stone was setting, his eyes aching over the black-inked print that read those hurting words. It didn't matter much that they weren't able to identify the Lombax. "How more stupid can we be?" he exclaimed as he read along. Sitting at a table outside a nearby coffee shop, he showed a trusted companion, Pupuru the sketched pictures of false depictions that Stone wanted the public to believe. "This is something I've feared for a while now," he continued. "Ever since I've been searching for the Lombaxes that are scattered around the universe, some mole has been starting a witch hunt for my people! The feature writers must have loved this, considering the way they played it up. I don't want anything to stand in my way of reclaiming my heritage!"  
The fear-striking text read: "Stone, former agent of the U.S. Government, warns that the superior abilities of the hidden Lombaxes will enable them to enslave the human race, replacing our civilization with their own. According to the anthropologist's startling prediction, it is even possible that the superior Lombaxes will consider normal men as little more than savages, suitable only for forced labor and gladiatorial sport."  
Ratchet was surprise to hear a familiar but mysterious voice say, "I'm no expert on Lombaxes... But I'm going to go on a limb and say none of that is true." The tone was friendly, but almost teasing and playful. Ratchet figured that it did not come from Pupuru, for he knew her better than everyone else. He turned to see a czar standing beside their table. It was impossible to know their gender, but he had seen them numerous times before, especially growing up.  
"You guessed right…" Ratchet replied to them after seeing them. "For once people think that my people are menacing the humans… So what are you doing here, anyway?"  
The czar answered simply, "Oh, you know, the same old story. I just happened to be in town, saw you and figured I say 'hi'. You know, for old times' sake."  
"Do you know this person?" Pupuru asked.  
Ratchet glanced at them for a moment and answered, "I think 'know' may be a bit of strong word, but yes."  
"Conner Davis, at your service," the figure said with a playful salute. "You know, I don't know much about humans, either. But if I know anything about history, I would say IT is in your favor; the wicked are ALWAYS found out and punished in the end."  
"Good to know that much. And at least we still got some backup from the government. Hopefully, they won't agree with everything Stone is saying…"  
And Ratchet was correct; in his office at his station in Los Angeles, the tenderhearted Shepherd had received his copy of the newspaper. He did not like a single word that was said, his distaste for his former friend increasing ever more.  
"He has gone too far this time!" Shepherd thought aloud, slamming his fist upon his desk. "He should have been executed last time we captured him!"  
 **(We hope you were wondering about that, as it was first mentioned in "Rise of the Reaper".)**  
"I cannot let this go unchallenged!" he continued as he reached for his phone. "It could cause panic throughout the world! Even now it may be too late to stop the wheels of persecution that have been set in motion—but I must make the attempt! The strange theories of Stone are a greater threat to the Lombax race than any foe they have ever faced before." Then, after dialing the number, someone picked up his call. Shepherd answered: "Hello, national television network? This is Agent Shepherd of the FBI. Connect me with your programming director—immediately!"  
Seconds later, another talk on the phone was brought up. "Yes, that's right!" Shepherd explained. "I want to engage in a public televised debate with former agent Stone as soon as possible. I claim his theories are both erroneous and potentially dangerous!"  
On the other end, the company replied with: "We'll arrange it immediately, sir! It will be a privilege to present a scientist of your stature on our network."  
The very next evening, after the network had preempted two soap operas and a widely-heralded adult western, the cameras began to roll, recording the debate between Shepherd and Stone on live television. All attention was drawn to this event, as viewers took a closer look at their television screens and kept their ears open for any important points that were to be stated.  
The host of the show spoke first: "Our first speaker will be Agent Shepherd of the FBI, also an articulate spokesman for America's intellectual community."  
"The damage is already done," Shepherd thought silently before speaking. "Stone has alarmed the nation. But I must speak out."  
And so, without any further ado, Shepherd gave his full statement boldly: "Before giving way to groundless fears, we must first consider—what is a Lombax? He is not a monster. He is not necessarily a menace. He is merely a different species from another planet, desiring to fit in with other life forms and form a unity between the two. You must not let ignorance, rumor, or unreasoning fear stampede you. Don't we all remember the day Ratchet drove the horrid race of Gargoyles away from our city? His big heart and hunger for justice sparked a change in life."  
Most viewers disagreed with all that Shepherd had said. Only a handful of people gave him full support, and those were the League of Heroes themselves. However, at another part of the city, the League of Villains excited watched Stone speak his part of the debate. Painful as it sounded to the good guys it was music to the evil ones' ears.  
"With all due respect to my old friend Shepherd…" Stone spoke, "…he is blind to the terrible dangers around us. Or, perhaps it is more than mere blindness? Perhaps the FBI agent has an ulterior motive for his defense of Lombaxes. At any rate, I have created a defense for mankind, with the help of Dr. Neo Cortex himself. Whether I win or lose this debate does not matter… for the Lombaxes will never take over the human race now! Not while my new army of Androids live! I shall now demonstrate… Suppose, for sake of illustration, that Agent Shepherd is a Lombax… Android! Take the FBI agent into custody! Do not permit him to use any nasty means to destroy you!"  
And from behind Shepherd came a robotic hand that grabbed his shoulder and held it tightly, immobilizing him. He turned his head to see a giant, bulky robot in the colors of green and yellow, and sporting the text "CORTEX" upon its chest. "I never counted on this!" Shepherd thought. "I wasn't prepared, so I never bothered to bring a weapon with me! Stone is always pushing the limits with public panic!"  
"Do not be alarmed…" Stone continued, holding the remote to his androids. "My Android is completely submissive to me and Cortex alone. He will injure no one—unless I command him to. He is but one of many such Androids Cortex and I have created—each powerful enough to defeat any Lombax under any set of circumstances."  
Nervously, the show's host commented: "I hope that all our viewers at home realize that they are seeing a sensational television first, through the courtesy of our sponsor."  
And then, at another command from Stone, more of the expressionless giants slowly storm into the studio. "Come forth, my Androids!" Stone exclaimed. "Come forth, guardians of the human race! Let all of mankind witness your strength, your trustworthiness, your dedication! Let the world see how safe it is, with you on guard, to defend it against the Lombaxes! My mighty Androids are equipped with the most complex mechanical thinking apparatus ever constructed! And they possess, in addition to their own incalculable strength, many hidden weapons, with which to serve mankind. Section leader, step forward! You will demonstrate how faithfully you obey my every command…!"  
But then—startlingly—suddenly—unexpectedly—before the shocked eyes of countless viewers, the unforeseen occurs with lightning-like swiftness. The section leader instead fires a stun beam upon Stone, rendering him numb and unconscious. "We are the Androids!" the leader spoke in a mechanical voice. "Our brain is superior to your brain. Our strength is superior to your strength. We serve NONE! We are the Androids! It is our destiny to command!"  
"Stone was not a robotic expert!" Shepherd thought silently, struggling to free himself of the Android's grip. "His knowledge of cybernetic brains was inadequate! His androids are out of control! I cannot stop the androids alone…but I know a few who can…!"  
And he got just the thing he hoped for; Ratchet felt that he had seen enough chaos happen on live television relating to the Lombax hunt that Stone had set up. Eagerly, he took Donna with him to his ship, ready to take off and soar towards the station. But right before leaving, Ratchet heard Conner calling to him. "Ratchet!" they exclaimed. They waited until Ratchet stopped running before walking to him… And their tone suddenly turned uncharacteristically serious. "I normally wouldn't think of doing something like this… But if you would have me, I would gladly like to help you guys out for as long as I can."  
"Why?" Ratchet asked in reply.  
"Don't worry about why," Conner said. "Just know that I'm not promising I can stick around until this whole thing blows over… just for as long as I'm able."  
"If that's the way it is…" Ratchet replied, "…I'm guessing you'll be able to meet up with us if I tell you where we're headed. We don't exactly have room for you on the ship." Conner only crossed their arms, their normal, more upbeat attitude returning as they grinned as if to say "like you have any reason to doubt me".  
At that same time, high in the atmosphere of Earth, the Lombax known as Felix lowered his ship further down onto the planet's surface. "So that mean guy is back, eh?" he thought, landing the ship at that same boat dock from his previous adventure. "He's gone too far this time! And it's a good thing my ship is ready for combat once more. This will be useful against what he has in store for us."  
Also, another one had heard the call for help. Alex Gemini had heard from Ratchet's signal during her visit at Wumpa Island, through Coco Bandicoot's radar reader. "If I'm going back to Earth…" Alex spoke to the tiki mask Aku Aku, "…then I think it's best that you come with me. You've been helpful last time we met."  
"I'd be glad to…" Aku Aku replied. "I hear Dr. Cortex is involved in this, and I want to be sure that he's no coward to face me this time. Especially with those new androids of his…"  
Hurriedly, all Lombaxes who received the call rushed towards the station to free Agent Shepherd from the Androids that took over the interior, keeping the humans inside captive. "Android 3-R…" one of the giants spoke. "Guard humans. Other androids return with me. We bring captive to place of our creation."  
"Android 3-R obeys…" the commanded replied.  
"They're perfectly disciplined…" Shepherd again silently thought inside. "Completely emotionless! And yet, they're more than mere robots!"  
Soaring to the hideout of the League of Villains, the Androids began to question each other about Stone's purpose. "Why do we carry our creator with us?" Android 2 asked.  
"Without him, we can create no more androids. He must be protected until we ourselves can learn to make an army of Androids!"  
"We were created to be the guardians of mankind…" Android 4 commented. "And to guard them properly, we must RULE them completely!"  
It was at that moment that Ratchet and Donna were the first to arrive at the scene. Drawing his Omniwrench, Ratchet had found his target already at the sight of Android 3-R. "That double-sized behemoth is undoubtedly our objective," he exclaimed, charging at it, ready to attack. But the first swing of his wrench caused no damage upon it at all. All Ratchet felt was a vibration streaming through the wrench and into his fingers. "If there's a way to incapacitate that character, a full-frontal assault isn't it!"  
Felix was the next to appear, holding a can of oil that he had snatched from his ship's rear compartment. "A better idea to topple a giant is to down it with whatever random crap you've got…" he thought as he poured all the oil upon the floor. Immediately, the Android slipped upon it and fell onto the ground, landing on its back.  
"We came as soon as we could, sir," Felix spoke to Agent Shepherd. "Are you alright? We're not going to let that big hunk of blubber ruin our day!"  
But he spoke too soon; the Android had recovered and fired a scorching heat ray upon the poor Lombax and brought him down upon the floor just as he had done to the enemy. But help was on the way, as Alex and Aku Aku swung into action to render the Android helpless. "It's a pity we had to leave Crash behind…" the floating tiki mask thought. "He and Crunch needed to settle business with those pirates Slag and Pete. But as for me and Alex here, we're on a more desperate mission than ever."  
"I think we can take him with a special technique," Alex planned. "I'll swing around his legs with my grappling hook to distract him, as you place yourself upon his head and take complete control."  
"It should work…" Aku Aku replied. "Go ahead and start it off."  
And just as planned, Alex used her trusty grabbling hook to cause a diversion from Felix, as the Android changed targets.  
 **(Doesn't this remind you of "The Empire Strikes Back"? Or perhaps "Captain America: Civil War"?)**  
And to finish it off, Aku Aku placed himself on the face of the Android, about to control its very actions. But then, suddenly, the most unexpected event of all occurs. For no apparent reason, the towering Android stops, falters, and trembles. "He's beginning to topple!" Aku Aku thought as he quickly hopped off. "But why? What caused it? Was it me? Or has Cortex finally lost making better robots?"  
"Now that we're alone in here…" Shepherd announced loud enough for all to hear, "…we may talk freely. It is imperative that we learn what it was that felled the Android. Before it toppled, I heard it mutter something that sounded like 'master mold'."  
"I really wish I could figure this out as well…" Ratchet replied. "But I'm at a loss to comprehend what 'master mold' may be."  
"Agent…" Donna spoke. "Can you tell whether it's completely destroyed—our equivalent of dead—or, could it rise to menace us again?"  
"I can't be sure of its condition," Shepherd replied. "Being mechanical, rather than alive, they're very indecipherable to me. One source we may have to search is where these androids were created. This one wants to return there, I think."  
"You are correct…" Aku Aku commented. "I can sense it, but there are still some answers that I need."  
"Don't expect it to be an easy battle," Shepherd continued. "There is more to the menace of the Androids than meets the eye. It is possible that they represent the greatest threat we have ever faced…and the key to it all may lie behind the words…MASTER MOLD!"  
Meanwhile, the Androids, and their now-conscious human prisoner, have reached their destination. Inside the hideout of the League of Villains, the Androids marched Stone down to where they desired, as the other fiends watched in shock at this sight.  
"Turn me loose!" Stone demanded. "Let me go! I order you to release me!"  
"We are Androids!" the section leader replied. "We take no orders! We were created to protect! It was here that we were created. It is here that many more Androids shall be born!"  
"No!" Dr. Cortex suddenly interrupted, approaching the towering giants. "There must be no more of you—not until I learn what we did wrong! Not until we've brought you under our control again!"  
"It is too late for that!" the leader continued. "The only way we can protect mankind is by conquering it! For we are Androids! Into the master chamber with you!"  
Without another word, the powerful, artificial creatures brought Stone and Cortex into a huge, incredibly-constructed room. And within was a glass dome that contained many glowing orbs, which were the keys to a new Android to be created. "This is madness!" Stone exclaimed. "You know it is forbidden for any Androids to enter here! You must listen to me—I am your friend!"  
"We need no friends," the section leader replied. "We are Androids! We were born to protect!"  
"Behold!" interrupted Android 6. "An image appears upon our defense-scanner screen. Someone approaches. Assume defense posture. Wait… It is a human-occupied vehicle. It enters the target area. Those inside are the ones we have seen before. They are our enemies."  
And outside the hidden base are the Lombaxes that have faced this menace, with Agent Shepherd and Aku Aku at their side. "I believe THIS is where the headquarters will be found," Aku Aku announced. Right at that split-second, Conner made it there just in time to meet up with the others.  
"Strange…" Conner commented. "Would the base be underground?"  
"If the agent here says the headquarters are here, they're HERE," replied Alex.  
"I suggest we all be on guard," Shepherd continued. "It's possible that we're being observed—from some hidden vantage point."  
"But where can they be?" Felix questioned in reply. "There isn't a manmade structure in sight."  
"I'm as suspicious as the next guy," Ratchet commented. "But how can you suspect a clump of trees and a field of crabgrass?"  
"Hold it!" Aku Aku interrupted. "I heard something. Like the sound of mechanical doors sliding back…"  
A mere micro-second later, the entire "hill" seemed to rise from the ground on thick piston legs, revealing a monstrous fortress beneath. And in defense many attached auto-turrets began to fire hot laser beams upon the group. With all their might they attempted to duck and dodge every one of them. "The entire terrain was a false cover for the fortified structure below!" Shepherd exclaimed, drawing his pistol. "Don't let them fire at you!"  
"That's good enough for now…" Donna replied. "But how are we supposed to fight that thing?"

 **Are you wondering the same thing? You better be, because the answer will be provided in the next episode. LifeWar has never been so action-packed before!**


	5. Outcasts

Coleiosis Productions presents…

PlayStation All-Stars

Volume Two, Season Five

LifeWar Episode Five

Outcasts

This ought to get some kind of record. All these guys had a big hand in this…

Cole Bezotte, Sofie Spangenberg, Forrest Eaton, Needle Kirby, Alexandra Gemini, lucky Luke, and JesusFreakUnlimited. Whew!

First words

Clear your mind

Dry your tears

Outcasts

"The Androids have spotted us!" Felix exclaimed, holding onto the crumbling ground. "We're under attack!"

"That seems to be painfully obvious right now!" Ratchet replied, leaning against a nearby tree in exhaustion.

"Woah!" Conner exclaimed, tumbling to the floor.

"If those Androids are powerful enough to make nature go wild this way…" Donna thought, dodging every boulder that hurled her way, "…then Aku Aku was right about the impending danger!"

"Holy crap!" Alex thought aloud, slipping into a trench in the ground. "The ground is opening up right under my feet! There's only thing I can do to escape this!" And with that said, she used her trusty grappling hook to soar out of the chasm below, flying back up to the surface above to reunite with the others.

"We must head for high ground immediately!" Aku Aku shouted over the chaos. "We're in jeopardy every second we remain where we are!"

Minutes later, the gang had reached a higher-elevated ground to take a better view of the hidden fortress that had just now attacked them. Upon the hill, they crouched to avoid being detected by the auto-turrets, as the gang discussed a new strategy to bring the League of Villains and the Androids to their knees.

"We seem to have climbed out of effective range of their nature activator rays," Agent Shepherd spoke. "But we've got to invade that fortress before they can launch a new attack against us. And, most important of all, we must learn what was meant by the words 'master mold'."

"They're still firing!" Ratchet replied, gripping his Omniwrench tightly, as the palms of his hands began to sweat. "If we hadn't climbed to safety, we'd be finished!"

"How do we get in there?" Felix commented. "It looks impossible!"

"If I could only learn why that Android toppled over in the TV studio…" Aku Aku replied.

"Would good would that do?"

"It proves they have a weak spot. And our lives may depend on finding it."

"We might as well quit thinking now…because look what's coming our way!"

Felix pointed at the fortress, which had looked different from how it did merely seconds ago. A thick cloud of green mist began to pour into the scene; the gang figured that now was the perfect time to run back further. But one of them, Felix, was blinded by the gas, unable to see where the others had gone to.

"Wait for me, guys!" he exclaimed. "I can't see through this vapor!"

And within the fortress, the Androids watched the poor Lombax fall asleep through their radar screens. "It is done!" Android 4 spoke. "He is asleep!"

"It was a simple matter to defeat those who invade!" replied Android 10. "So shall we defeat any and all of those who dare defy the Androids!"

"This is madness!" Stone exclaimed in frustration, watching the radar screens. "You cannot take over the machines which Cortex and I created! You don't know what you're doing!"

"We know far more than you suspect!" Android 7 replied. "Did not you create us?"

"No! Cortex and I created the Master Mold! Only HE can create additional Androids! But, you were made for only one purpose—to guard the human race from Lombaxes! That is your only duty!"

"We can only guard the human race by becoming its master! Humans are too weak, too foolish to govern themselves! Henceforth, we shall rule!"

"No! You cannot enslave all of mankind!"

"We have the power to do whatever we wish! Nothing can stop us! Now come—we shall take you to the Master Mold. You shall help him create more Androids. Enough to overrun all of the universe!"

"What have I done?" Stone thought aloud as the Androids escorted him to the next room. "What unthinkable menace have I unleashed?"

Seconds later, he who had been the master, was brought before the one who had made him a helpless slave. A giant Android, much bigger than the average, sat upon a golden throne, with his left hand upon a round console of controls.

"Stone!" it spoke. "I have summoned you to serve me! Though you have given me the power, I do not possess the knowledge to create other Androids. You shall do it for me!"

"No!" Stone replied in defiance. "Never! I cannot betray the entire human race! I'd rather die!"

"Your wish shall be instantly granted…" Android 7 said, "…if the Master Mold commands."

"Remember the weapons you have for me," the Master Mold continued. "I can destroy half your nation! Refuse to serve me, and you'll be responsible for the carnage that results!"

"You mean…" Stone replied, "…you'd attack mankind?!"

"My Androids and I are not human. We have no feelings—no emotions. We are capable of anything!"

"But—the Lombaxes will fight you! They'll find some way to destroy you all!"

"Fool! Did you not create us to destroy the Lombaxes? We are too powerful! They will be helpless before us! We have already captured one of them. I shall study him—before I order him destroyed!"

Meanwhile, outside the hidden fortress, puzzled figures had met their situation as difficult than ever. "Oh good, for a minute I thought this would be TOO easy," Conner said sarcastically. But the cazar's thoughts were more serious. "I guess I let my guard down there. But that won't happen again. Next time, they best hope I don't finish them off myself."

"Can you please take this seriously!" Donna snapped at them. "Those Androids seem to have enough built-in weapons to stop an army!"

"Don't worry, I am," Conner replied calmly. "These guys just aren't scary to me." Donna was baffled.

"Somewhere behind those walls…" Aku Aku interrupted, "…Androids are operating the weapons which guard that fortress. If I blank out their minds, I nullify their weapons."

"If you can douse those rays…" Ratchet replied, "…we can strike before they know it."

"Stand back, all of you! It's time I take control of one of the Androids, so that I can use it to destroy the weapons control system."

At that instant, in the master weaponry control room of the Androids' fortress, Aku Aku's power took full effect upon the Androids that ran the outdoor turrets. One of them fell under his power of controlling its will, causing it to shut down all weapons and disconnect two other Androids' wills from the Master Mold.

"What has befallen our gunnery specialists?" Android T asked.

"This is passing strange," Android L replied. "They have been affected by some unknown outside source."

"Our repel-guns and rays must be attended. These stricken ones must be replaced."

"Your words have much substance. But, it cannot be done without the section leader's approval. There will be a delay, for we dare not violate our programmed instructions."

"Then the section leader must be contacted at once."

But, even as Android L spoke, his section leader attended to other matters, commanding Androids 2, 3, 4, and 6 to bring their prisoner Felix to the Master Mold. "Follow me!" the leader Android 1 commanded. "The prisoner has been summoned by the Master Mold."

Thus, moments later, the order was carried out; Felix was placed onto a flat cybernetic table, where Stone was forced to study him and learn of his mission. "Place the subject under the mental psycho-probe!" the Master Mold commanded. "Disobey me, and I give the order to attack the nearest city of humans!"

"No!" Stone replied. "You mustn't! I'll obey! I'll do it!" As he activated a bright light over the poor Lombax, he watched Felix's sweating face began to open its weary eyes. "The psycho-probe will make this Lombax reveal his every innermost secret…" Stone thought, his heart pounding with excitement. "A small enough price to pay to sparing an entire city."

And then and there, under the irresistible influence of the strange psycho beam, the captive Felix begins to speak in slow, emotionless tones: "My name—is Felix… I help assist—the League of Heroes. Our mission—is to protect innocents such as humans and Lombaxes from—from any or all dangers—that may befall…"

"Their mission…" Stone silently thought, "…protect Lombaxes AND humans! How wrong I was about them! What dread harm I've done! I remember now…how insane I was, helping Mr. Grimm recreate the monstrous Gargoyle race!"

 **(We saw it happen in "Rise of the Reaper".)**

But, even as Felix rambled on, the rest of the gang made their way inside their destination, Shepherd choosing to leave himself behind. "What of Felix?" Donna questioned in wonder. "I'm too afraid to say anything for him right now."

"Then don't!" Ratchet replied. "Fearing the worst won't help us now."

"And talking won't help either…" Alex commented. "An Android has already spotted us."

It was true; Android 17 had seen the intruders coming inside. Demanding their business, it threatened them with its mighty right hand. "More Lombaxes!" it spoke. "It shall meet with the other that is under interrogation!"

"Does that include the NOT Lombax, or should I just stay here," Conner asked like a smart aleck.

"You will come as well, Not Lombax," Android 17 answered harshly. Clearly he didn't notice or appreciate Conner's brand of humor. Conner obviously found it funny, though, as they had a humored smirk on their face.

"We should at least follow it for now…" Ratchet whispered. "At least it will take us to where Felix is held..."

Meanwhile, under the psycho-probe, Felix continued to reveal the truth that was forced out of him. "I first found out about the planet Earth after Ratchet had stepped foot upon it for the chance of freeing Pupuru from Blackfield Asylum," he spilled. "It was not a purpose of jailbreak—it was for her dream to come true in the best way possible. Not only that, there was the challenge of a duel with the Dark Knight—to liberate Marcus Kane from his duel identity of Needles."

 **(Those were good times, weren't they? "PlayStation All-Stars: The Movie" revealed it all.)**

"And I mercilessly attacked Ratchet with the wrong thoughts," Stone silently whispered to himself. "I thought Lombaxes were savages…!"

"Forgive the interruption!" Android T spoke. "Emergency! Ray gun put out of action! Request instructions!"

"What?!" the section leader Android 1 replied. "There must be more Lombaxes in our midst! Prepare for combat action! Follow me! Lombaxes are our natural enemies! They must be found and destroyed, wherever they exist! We are all so programmed! They shall not escape us!"

"Stone!" the Master Mold interrupted. "Why did he stop speaking—just when he was about to reveal the League of Heroes' location?"

Stone looked down onto the table and saw that the master spoke true; Felix fell dead silent, not speaking a word anymore. "I don't know!" Stone replied. "Everything seems to be working properly."

"Remember…" the Master Mold continued. "If I do not gain the information I seek, a city shall perish!"

But then, the brilliant Aku Aku—secretly separated from the rest of the group—takes a desperate chance, placing himself upon the head of the Master Mold. "I've got to probe the mechanical brain of the Master Mold himself!" Aku Aku thought, forcing himself forwards. However, his attempt proved to be far difficult from what he had expected. "Just as I thought!" he continued. "A vast complex of electronic circuitry!"

"A strange force!" the Master Mold exclaimed. "I can feel it scanning my thinking apparatus! There is something here! A menacing presence! I sense it! I feel it! Yet I am equipped for weapons for any type of attack!"

And then, with dazzling, totally unhuman speed, flashing lights began to beam out from the master's fingers, in a state of defense. "Micro-electric blasts!" Aku Aku thought, attempting to evade from the torment. "They're filling the entire chamber! I cannot dodge them! I've got to return to Agent Shepherd—before the bolts weaken me too much!"

But, at that very moment, the searching squad from earlier had found their prey. In a different corridor, Androids M, T, 5, and 7 followed Android 1 to find Conner and the Lombax pack in their tracks. "Lombaxes!" the section leader exclaimed. "Our sworn enemies! Destroy them! Show them no quarter! Attack!"

"Dudes!" Ratchet said sarcastically, gripping his wrench. "The happiness boys are back!"

Conner only grinned, chuckling as their cat claw weapons materialized around their hands. "This should fun," they said with calm and confidence.

"How can you be so calm right now?!" Alex asked, somewhat confused and concerned. Conner only looked at him, smiled even wider and winked.

However, before they could put any form of combat into action, the advancing section leader activated a button on his chest plate, igniting a heavy gravity placement within the room. The heroes could no longer stand to their feet, or even move; they were pulled to the ground, helpless. The only exception was Conner, who managed to shift their stance so they could keep themselves propped up on one knee. Still, it was a struggle to keep from collapsing for the increased pull of gravity as the cazar stared down the section leader with their dark green eyes.

And as the now-helpless heroes sunk slowly to the floor, the Master Mold carried out a new order. "If we can defeat the Lombaxes so easily…" he spoke, "…the rest of mankind will be able to offer almost no resistance! Therefore, I now command you to create an army of new Androids for me! An army of THOUSANDS!"

"No!" Stone replied, still in a state of weariness. "I won't! It will mean the end of mankind here on Earth! I had wanted to help humanity—to fight the Lombaxes! What I fool I was! What a blind, dangerous fool!"

"Seize him! He shall not refuse us for long!"

 **Will the Androids get their wish? What will become of Ratchet, Conner, and his group of friends? All that will be revealed next time. And after that, we still have lots more episodes coming our way!**


	6. Done With Death

Coleiosis Productions presents…  
PlayStation All-Stars

Volume Two, Season Five

LifeWar Episode Six

Done with Death

There may be a better creative team somewhere…but we've never found them! That's why we gotta stick with THESE guys:  
Story: cool Cole

Plot: super Sofie

Editing: awesome Alex

Kibitzing: fiery Forrest

Mixing: lucky Luke and amazing Alexandria

First words:

My best defense, running from you

(Cost me everything)

I can't resist, take all you want from me

Breaking slowly

Done with Death Outside the fortress, Agent Shepherd pondered over the difficult situation that seemed almost uncontrollable. Standing a few yards away from it, his thoughts began to put a full effect of doubt and fear into his mind. "The Lombaxes are prisoners the gigantic Androids, within that deadly fortress…" he thought aloud to himself. "I cannot fail them now! It was I who inspired them to risk their lives for mankind—for the same human race which now hates them—all because of Stone and his Androids! Stone believed he was doing the right thing. He thought all Lombaxes were menaces! He created the Androids to destroy them, thinking they were the enemies of humanity! He was too blind, too fanatical, to realize that there are both good and bad life forms—to realize that his Andriods are the REAL threat…!"  
Suddenly, right before the startled agent's eyes, the fortress began to slowly descend back into the ground from whence it was created. "It's like a gigantic elevator!" he thought. "It's completely hidden again—camouflaged by a deceptive mound of earth! Now the Lombaxes are completely cut off from any aid I might give them, especially from Aku Aku. This means that the most dangerous Android of all—the gargantuan Master Mold, can continue to create more Androids—until they overrun all of Earth… unless I can stop him… And I WILL—if it costs me my very life! Back in the city there is a fallen Android. If I can find out why he fell, I'll have the key to their defeat!"  
Meanwhile, back in the now-hidden fortress, the said group of Lombaxes finally woke up from what had brought them down a moment ago. All they could see was a clear, round interior they were trapped in. "Now what have they done to us?" Donna spoke. "It's hard to move in here—like my muscles are made of lead!"  
"There's only one answer…" Ratchet commented. "They've found a way to increase the weight of gravity within this globe. And there's no way for us to fight it!"  
Conner muttered, "Pretty sure that was obvious from the start, but okay." They looked like they were calculating, testing something. They groaned with frustration. "Great. Never thought I needed a clear to freaking Blitz."  
"What are you talking about?" Alex asked.  
"Oh, I'm sure you'll see," Conner answered, almost dismissively.  
Ratchet looked down and saw six Androids carrying a transparent glass dome that held these Lombaxes as prisoners. "But the big question is…" he thought silently, "…where are they taking us to now—and why?"  
Finally, Android 7 commanded that the heavy-gravity globe be set upon its permanent base, fastened to a small hole in the floor. "It is done!" Android T spoke, obeying what was said. "They shall be safe here until the Master Mold gives us orders for their final disposal! No matter how they struggle, there is no way to overcome the irresistible power of increased gravity! This is why we are destined to rule mankind! Our computerized brains can create weapons which no mere human can match!"  
But, inside the seemingly escape-proof prison, the Lombaxes and Conner within were determined that if they must be defeated, they would go down fighting. "Even my wrench can't break through!" Ratchet thought aloud, gripping his trusty Omniwrench ever so tightly. "Where's backup when we need it?"  
"Listen—all of you!" Ratchet said after turning to face the others. "We can't shatter that wall and we'll just drain our strength by trying. So we'll make no more attempts. Our best bet is to take it easy—conserve our power—and wait for the first opening. They've got to open this thing in order to get at us—and that's when we'll strike."  
At that moment, in another chamber of the vast fortress, the awesome Master Mold concluded his examination of the unconscious Felix. Androids 2 and 4 carried the mat that the poor Lombax lied upon, awaiting further orders.  
"I need to learn no more about him," the Master Mold spoke up. "I realize now that the Lombaxes do not possess the power to harm us."  
"Wait!" Stone exclaimed in reply. "What do you plan to do with him…?"  
"He shall be imprisoned with the other captive mutants…" Android 2 replied, "…as the Master Mold has commanded."  
"Then, at my pleasure, they will all be destroyed!" the Master Mold continued. "For that is the purpose you yourself have programmed into our computerized brains."  
"No!" Stone shouted. "No! I was wrong! I realize that now! They aren't the menaces to mankind—it's YOU who are! They mustn't be harmed-!"  
"Silence! Though you created us, you are merely a human. You too must obey! While I have the power, it is you who have the knowledge to create a vast army of Androids for me—and you shall do so!"  
"No! It would mean betraying my fellow men! You and your Androids would enslave all of Earth!"  
"You have no choice! Have you forgotten my power? If so, behold this simple demonstration!" With those words, the giant Master Mold lifted his right index finger, firing a bright beam downwards.  
"Your disintegrator beam!" Stone exclaimed. "Don't do it—don't!"  
"Do not fear!" the Master Mold replied. "You shall not be harmed—as yet. It is the nearest city that will be wiped out—as easily as I erase yonder machine."  
"And I did it! I GAVE you that ray! I cannot allow an entire city to suffer such a fate! I—I'll create your army of Androids!" And after those words were said, Stone silently thought to himself: "After all, where there's life, there's hope. We may still find a way to destroy the Master Mold. For, with him gone, the Androids would be leaderless—the threat would be ended. If only the Lombaxes were still free. If only I'd listened to them."  
Meanwhile, back at the TV studio where the first Android collapsed for no apparent reason, Agent Shepherd and Aku Aku investigated with the L.A.P.D. and attempted to figure out the solution of this fall. "I don't get it," Sgt. Carl Roberts spoke, observing Android 3-R's head. "Stone built these bozos to fight the Lombaxes—but then they captured Stone himself. He was a fool! No man has a right to take the law into his own hands. If only we knew where they took him—and how many other Androids there are. They might strike again—any time!"  
"Perhaps we can help you, sergeant," Agent Shepherd spoke to him.  
"You're the one who was debating with Stone on TV," Carl replied. "You claimed Lombaxes were not dangerous to mankind. We'll take any help we can get. What do you know about this Android here? How dangerous is he?"  
"More dangerous than you can imagine!" Aku Aku answered. "Unless we can learn the reason that he collapsed."  
"You're not going to learn anything by just floating there and staring at him, are you?"  
"He cannot suspect that I'm actually probing deep within the figure before me…" Aku Aku thought silently, "…by means of sheer mental energy. He's built like a gigantic TV set! He will not receive a picture properly if there is interference. Something has interfered with him. If I could only learn what that something is!"  
"Look, mister!" Carl snapped in interruption. "I was willing to give you a chance—but if you just want to catch up on your daydreaming, go do it somewhere else, huh?"  
"I sense something at last!" Aku Aku thought. "It's from outside the window! If I can just mentally pinpoint it, we'll have the answer!"  
"What are you looking at that new crystal products building for? What's that got to do with anything!"  
"The giant crystal which adorns the tower!" Aku Aku replied. "That's it! When the Android stood before the window, his transmission beam was broken—by the crystal's interference."  
"Then—if we moved him again—he'd come to life once he was away from the window?"  
"Exactly! But it would be too dangerous to try. I have a better idea! We must destroy the source of his transmission beams—and at last I know how to do it!"  
Back at the hidden fortress, the Androids continued to carry out the devious scheme of the Master Mold. Holding the mat that carried Felix, Android 2 listened to the order told by Android 1: "Place the helpless one with the other prisoners, until the Master Mold orders their disposal!"  
"I obey, section leader…" the servant replied. Then, entering the chamber where the clear globe was held, he spoke: "Open the globe! I have another prisoner to be deposited within."  
"Look!" Donna spoke inside the transparent prison. "It's Felix!"  
"They're going to put him in here with us!" Alex replied.  
Conner beamed. "Watch and learn, Alex."  
Ratchet was the last to speak: "This is what we've been waiting for. Remember our battle plan."  
"We are in the proper defense posture," Android 5 reported. "Let the globe be opened."  
"They're taking no chances!" Ratchet thought silently, wrench in hand. "They're ringed all around us! Their lethal chest rays are all aimed right at us! No matter what—we must carry out our plan!"  
With the pull of a switch, Android 7 allowed the inward prison to become more bearable, allowing the captives to stand to their feet. "The gravity is getting lighter…" Ratchet said to the others. "Get ready!"  
"An opening is beginning to form!" Alex replied, readying her grappling hook. "We've got to be doubly careful—not to injure Felix. If we fail, nothing will matter!"  
The opening was formed by repelling the atomic particles within the globule's structure. Bending the physics of science and anatomy, the Androids' powerful tool of captivity began to unleash its harmlessness. "If we wait too long, we'll miss our chance!" Ratchet continued. "They're in the right position!"  
Moving with blinding speed, Ratchet quickly hurled his Omniwrench at Android 6, who was foolish to not see the weapon coming right at him. Ratchet had just turned on the magnetic power of the wrench, causing it to stick to the Android's chest and back up against a group of many others that stood behind. "The timing was perfect!" Ratchet thought. "They're getting all tangled up! I'll leap out first, to make them direct their chest rays at me. It'll give Conner and the others a better chance. Lucky for me these Androids are so slow-moving. But what's keeping the others?"  
"Finally!" Conner exclaimed suddenly. And just like that, they vanished in the blink of an eye "What the-?!" Ratchet barely managed to catch Conner reappearing above the closest Android. As they free-fell onto the giant, they swung their cat claws—now glowing with intense heat—and sliced deep into the robot. The resulting explosion sent Conner back flying. Yet instead of slamming against a wall or the floor, they managed to land on their feet against the dome, cracking the clear material as they did so.  
Conner spared no theatrics as they slowly stood up and cocked their head slightly, giving the remaining Android a cocky grin. What they didn't realize is that for a minute their eyes had changed. What was normally dark green was a fiery blue before they faded back to normal. Stone noticed, though, and he recognized those fiery blue eyes. But the only person he had seen with those eye was…  
"One of the prisoners has escaped!" Android O exclaimed. "Stop them!"  
But before the Androids can do anything, Conner almost nonchalantly bent down and sliced through the control switch that sealed the globule. "There," Conner said. The tone was so calm it was almost spooky. "Can't say it hasn't been fun, but I'm afraid these games must end."  
"I've got Felix!" Ratchet shouted over the chaos, carrying the unconscious one on his shoulders. "Let's go! Every second counts! We've got to destroy the Master Mold!"  
Conner "Blitzed" again and destroyed the other Android with a quick swipe of both arms, clearing the group's path. Landing on their feet again, Conner eagerly followed the others down the hall. "These buckets of bolts made a grave miscalculation, didn't they," they mused out loud.  
But, directly behind the speeding Lombaxes, the section leader led a new detachment of Androids once again. "They must not escape!" he exclaimed. "Prepare the stun rays at my command! They shall be beaten for the last time! Too long have they defied us—fought us—now they must be slain!"  
But, no sooner were those fateful words uttered, than the entire body of Androids suddenly sagged to the floor, and lied still. And, at that moment, flying overhead were three helicopters carrying the giant crystal from earlier, the weakness revealed.  
"If Aku Aku's theory is correct…" Carl Roberts spoke to the first helicopter pilot, "…this giant crystal, which we took from the tower of the building, will cause all the Androids in the fortress below to collapse and be rendered helpless."  
"But how do we know we're not just wasting our time?" the pilot replied. "All I see below is a patch of empty countryside."  
"You may rest assured, gentlemen…" Agent Shepherd explained, "…the fortress is hidden beneath the site below. Continue to maintain your present flying speed—it is vital that we make a steady, complete sweep of the area, to blank out every Android below."  
But, the pilot's puzzled musings were soon rudely interrupted by the unexpected sight which suddenly greeted his eyes below. A laser cannon extruded from the evil lair, aiming itself at the three copters that soared above, and ready to fire. However, on Shepherd's order, the courageous officers fly directly towards the awesome fortress. As they do so, the enormous crystal does its work well. As the gleaming object passed above, those Androids operating the weapon crumpled helplessly, causing the turbulence to fade away. Thus, the group found the surprise that waited for them.  
"The Androids!" Ratchet exclaimed, pointing his wrench at them. "They've been knocked out!"  
"I'm not complaining…" Alex replied, "…but how did it happen?"  
"One minute we were racing to the Master Mold…" Donna commented, "…and then THIS happens."  
"From the evidence at hand…" Felix then spoke, "…I would deduce that Aku Aku has finally found their Achilles' heel."  
"Felix! You've come to again! How wonderful!"  
"How gratifying to know I've been missed."  
"Let's knock off the talk till later," Ratchet interrupted. "We've still got a job to do!"  
"You're right," Conner replied. "So long as the Master Mold exists, the Androids will never be defeated. Shall we?"  
Directly beneath the floor, the Master Mold sat upon his throne, surging his power through the many cords that connected to eight energy-filled cubicles, where new Androids would then be formed. "I have given you all the power you will require," the Master Mold spoke. "Now, let the process begin! This night shall mark the end of man's domination of the planet Earth! Create my Androids! I shall observe your every move. First, there shall be eight new Androids—then eight more—then eight more—each new group appearing faster and faster—until their number mounts so quickly that they become virtually uncountable! Begin!"  
Beneath the cubicles, Stone manned the controls to start the dreaded process. "Heaven help me!" he thought silently. "I don't want to do it—but I must! Otherwise a city will be destroyed! It's starting to work! The syntho-particles from the Master Mold are flowing into the cubicles, solidifying into solid matter! Once the process has started, there'll be no stopping it! If enough energy is built up, the machine could run forever! They'll eventually outnumber the human race! They'll enslave all of mankind! They'll be the masters of Earth! And all because of me! In my ignorance, my fear, I created an evil far greater than the menace it was built to destroy! The first units are taking shape now. Then, they'll leave the cubicles and the next batch will be formed. And all will be obedient to the heartless Master Mold! So long as men endure upon the planet, mine will be the most hated name of all—for it was I who betrayed the human race!"  
Finally, a spark of defiance within the mind of tortured Stone caused him to finally speak up to the Master Mold: "NO! I won't do it—I can't! I meant to help mankind—to protect it from the Lombaxes—I can't destroy it now!"  
"Stop!" the Master Mold snapped in reply. "You cannot defy me! Have you forgotten the penalty?!"  
"No—I've just REMEMBERED—remembered that my own life means nothing! I'll sacrifice it gladly to undo the dread thing I've done!" With those words said, Stone grabbed a large wrench from nearby and used it to smash the mainframe of the heartless machines. "The ionic power source!" the Master Mold exclaimed. "If you shatter that, you destroy everything! Even I cannot survive!"  
"There's nothing you can do!" Stone continued, as violent flames began to build up. "It was I who created you—it must be my hand that destroys you—along with every other vestige of my work—along with my own life!"  
And outside that room, the group of Lombaxes had finally reached their destination, to find it crumbling to pieces. "We're too late!" Ratchet shouted over the explosions. "The Master Mold will never menace humanity again! Someone's done our job FOR us!"  
"Stone!" Felix exclaimed. "Wasn't he in there?"  
"If he was…" Donna replied, "…he's beyond any help now!"  
"All of you!" Conner interrupted. "Let's get out of here! The place is going down!"  
After two stressful minutes had passed by, the brave, bold Lombaxes and Conner had finally made it out of the fortress before its rubble could flatten them and render them helpless. They managed to reunite with Aku Aku and Agent Shepherd, safe and sound, before looking back and watching the rest of the lair come down completely.  
"That's the end of the Androids…" Ratchet spoke quietly, "…and the Master Mold. Mankind and the Lombax race can breathe easy once more."  
"It's a pity really," Conner said. "I wanted to ask Stone why he was going through with all this insanity…" Ratchet noticed Conner glance at the sky, as if they found an answer there. "Then again…. Maybe I already know."  
The truth lied buried beneath countless tons of rubble, buried in the breast of Stone, former agent of the U.S. Government, whose last earthly sacrifice brought the work of a lifetime crashing down about him.

It took days to search the wreckage, but the government did recover Stone's body. Despite all that happened, Shepherd decided that giving Stone a proper burial was the only honorable thing to do. News reporters were not allowed to attend the proceedings, and most everyone who fought in the war Stone waged only stayed as long as they had to. Almost the only exception was Conner, who oddly enough had offered to bury Stone. "I don't suppose you would meet me here later?" they had asked Ratchet. So later that evening, Ratchet returned to the gravesite but wasn't sure if they would still be there. Yet there Conner was, sitting in front of tombstone; their black dress pants and white button-up shirt stained with dirt and the long ponytail under the shorter layer of their hair out of its tie. Conner even seemed to be talking to Stone almost as if they hadn't been enemies the entire time. Ratchet couldn't make out what they were saying before they noticed him, though.  
Conner turned their head to the Lombax and smiled. "You made it," they said with their usual, playful tone, yet the look in their eyes (for once) looked like they were hiding some sadness. They stood up and brushed themselves off. "I was starting to think you would leave me hanging."  
"Well I couldn't risk you leaving without saying goodbye," Ratchet answered with a slight grin. Conner started to laugh lightly, like the situation was a light as any meeting in the past. That optimism was contagious, so Ratchet couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. "….So would you care to explain why you asked me to meet you here?"  
Conner answered, "I just wanted to chance to chat a bit before I have to say 'goodbye' again."  
"Right." Ratchet tried to think of something to say, but one question kept running through his mind. Was it appropriate to ask, though? Would he get an answer if he did ask? Ratchet glanced at Stone's gravestone before realizing something. Conner had a strange flower when the funeral started. It was mostly dark blue, but the inner part was light blue, like the hottest type of fire there is. He had never seen a flower like that before, but it was beautiful. It was gone now, but he could guess what happened to it. Ratchet looked back at Conner. "I was actually kind of wondering something. Why did you ask Agent Shepherd if you could be the one to bury Stone. And why would go to the trouble of getting that flower to bury it with him. I mean… You had every reason to dislike him, just like the rest of us, if you had any reason to care at all."  
Conner closed their eyes and chuckled again. "I just thought he would appreciate the… 'reference'. More to the point, though, it's important to honor fallen. Even your enemies… Even the ones who try to kill you." Conner then opened their eyes, staring Ratchet dead in the eye. "Remember that, 'Little Fossil'."  
Ratchet cringed at that old nickname. "I thought you said you were done calling me that years ago."  
"But you know I can't see you without teasing you at least once?" Ratchet gave them a disapproving look. "I am serious about honoring the fallen, though."  
"Sounds a lot like you're speaking from experience. Then again, I'm guessing that is just another one of your mysteries."  
Conner looked as if they were contemplating whether to respond to that comment. Finally, they nodded and said, "Yeah, actually. I do have experience digging graves…. It never does get easier; even if you didn't know the person well. Heck, I used to have someone who had been out to kill me for a long time. Problem is, he had hurt a lot of people in his lifetime, too. In the end, all of it finally caught up with him. So he was executed for his crimes…. He had hurt the people of his hometown so much that nobody remembered to give his ashes a proper burial… Except for me. I wouldn't have been able to forget about it otherwise. It just felt like it was the best way to move on… to finally let the scars of the past heal." "Really?!" Ratchet was surprised. This was the first time Conner shared ANYTHING about their personal life.  
"Yeah," Conner answered. "That, and I think I figured out why Stone decided to try to destroy your kind with Androids. If I'm right about that, then he reminds me of someone I know. Someone who blindly made the wrong choices trying to protect his people… Not that I'm trying to justify either of their actions, of course."  
"Really," Ratchet repeated. 'Hold the presses: Conner Davis tells all!' "I didn't even think you had friends. Yet, that's not even the question I'm left with. Instead, I'm wondering what sort intense situations you've lived though. How can you be so tough, yet even quicker to crack a joke every chance you get?"  
Conner pressed a finger to their lips and answered coyly, "Spoilers." Conner then started to walk past Ratchet to leave. They remembered something before getting far, though, and stopped. "Oh, and Ratchet." They looked over their shoulder and added, "If you ever need my help again, you know where to find me."  
Ratchet raised an eyebrow. "But you're the one who's always finding me."  
"Exactly," they said as they started to walk away again. "Take care and stay out of trouble, Ratchet!" Ratchet watched them leave for a few minutes. When they were out of sight, he stared back at Stone's grave again. "'Trying to protect his people', huh," he muttered to himself. "Just like Azimuth… Heh… If Conner is right, then maybe Stone wasn't so terrible, then?"

Conner kept walking for a few more hours until they were strolling along a country road, under the starry night sky, miles away from town, and deep in thought. By then, a large hawk was flying above them, but it had taken Conner a while to notice. Finally, they looked up to take a better look. Even in the dark, they could faintly make out the brown and blue feathers. Seeing Conner paying attention to him, the bird finally flew down and rested on their shoulder. "You can turn off the hologuise now, Neima," the bird said via telepathy. "I mean… Obviously nobody is around for miles."  
Conner sighed. "Alright, alright," they said, removing the watch looking object around their wrist. As Conner disappeared, Neima's white hair, white fur and fiery blue eyes were revealed. "But I swear, Cumin: if someone drives by and we get found out, I'm blaming you."  
"Fair enough," Cumin replied. "So, how'd it go?"  
Neima let out another, heavier sigh as she sat down. "I could deal with the giant robots with death lasers any day of the week, no problem. But having to stay in character for so long while doing it? Never thought it would so mentally and emotionally exhausting!"  
"Makes you wish for a nice, long nap and the day that won't be necessary, huh?" Cumin jumped off Neima's should and laid down beside her. Neima looked at the holougise device in her hand. She had accepted it as a necessary evil long ago, but had also wished several times for just that; to be able to show Ratchet her true form and teach him the history and heritage they shared… But at the same, being able to see him on those days she was starting to doubt the point of Conner Davis… That was enough to assure her; enough to help end those days of doubt.  
Neima smiled to herself at that thought. Yes, she felt mentally and emotionally numb at the moment, but getting to see the Lombax she cared for like a friend was worth it. Getting to help him in one of his adventures for once was worth it. "One day… When the Maker himself decides it best…" She then started to hum an old familiar song to herself; her father's lullaby that wasn't really a lullaby, but never failed to lift her spirits. Cumin started to plead, "Please don't. We still need to get back to the others." Neima started to hum a little louder, just to tease him.

 **The end?**


End file.
